‘Basura’

Most Filipinos think it is a Filipino word. But Filipino tourists who have been to Spain, especially its big cities like Madrid, probably must have noticed trash cans labeled “Basura.’’ The word comes from the Latin “versura,” to turn around, change; it was derived from the proto Indo-European word “wer,” which in turn derived ultimately from the Latin word “verrere,” meaning to sweep clean, sweep together.

But in the Philippines, basura is not always swept clean. It is often left uncollected in open spaces or dumped in certain sites that have become small mountains, some of which, during the typhoon season, have collapsed and killed people. Some kinds of basura, the plastic and non-biodegradable ones, have aggravated floods, especially in urban areas like Metro Manila.

Among the non-biodegradable garbage, the ones most often in the news are plastic bags and Styrofoam containers which block outlets, canals and other waterways and impede the flow of water, thus worsening floods during the typhoon and rainy season.

The problem of trash disposal is reaching alarming proportions. Data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources show that 756,986 kilograms of trash have been recovered from the country’s shorelines and waterways. Of that number, 622,448 kg were composed of plastic and rubber items. About half of the plastic items thrown into waterways—300,716 kg—were plastic bags, followed by food wrappers/containers at 110,939 kg, the DENR said.

Many measures have been adopted by the national and local governments to solve this problem. For instance, high wire fences have been built to prevent people from throwing their garbage, including plastic bags and Styrofoam containers, into waterways, but they have cut holes in these fences and continue to dump their trash in these canals.

Ultimately, the solution would be to ban the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags and Styrofoam containers. Many measures have been introduced in Congress and local government councils seeking to impose such a ban but only a few have been approved and are now being enforced. One of the latest proposals is that of Sen. Loren Legarda, who filed a measure that seeks to stop the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags.

In September last year, the DENR, along with the Earth Day Network, mall owners and supermarket chains, signed a memorandum of understanding to promote reusable bags and reduce the use of plastic bags. But even before the MOU was signed, some environmentally conscious malls, supermarkets and stores were already going green in the use of bags and other product containers.

SM Supermarket and the SM Department Stores have shifted to the use of biodegradable plastic bags, at no extra cost to customers. SM Supermarkets are also encouraging the use of the green bag, a canvas bag that can be reused, instead of plastic bags. They are urging customers to bring their own shopping bags whenever they buy groceries.

The Jollibee Group of Companies is reducing its use of styro packaging by shifting to washable melaware for dine-in services. At the Jollibee stores, segregation begins with trash bins designated for biodegradable or organic waste and non-biodegradable waste. Later, plastic and styro containers undergo a recycling process which ultimately produces new items for the market.

Ayala and Rustans are selling eco-bags to customers. Bench is observing Greenday Wednesdays during which customers are encouraged to bring their own bags or else they will be billed for paper or plastic bags. A Caloocan City public market is enforcing a ban on plastic bags every Monday.

Other local governments, supermarket chains and business establishments should follow suit.

The campaign to phase out the use of non-biodegradable bags and containers is just beginning. It is not enough that the national and local governments and private enterprises take carrot-and-stick measures. All citizens have to cooperate in the effort to stop the use of non-biodegradable materials like plastic bags and styrofoam containers. This matter has taken a special urgency in the light of the weather bureau’s warning that we are in for fiercer typhoons and worse flooding this month.